Snow-shoe.



' GQLDWIN S. SPRAGUE, OF NEWTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

SNOlV-SHOE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 21, 1915.

Application filed. January 18, 1915. Serial No. 2,810.

To all 107mm it may concern Be it known that I, GOLDWIN S. SPRAGUE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newton, county of MiddleseX, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Snow-Shoes, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawing, is a specification, like characters on the drawing representing like parts.

This invention relates tothe construction of snow shoes particularly with reference to that part known as the foot binding.

The object of the invention is to provide a construction in which the toe cap shall be pivotally mounted upon the toe cord without danger of slipping out of position laterally and in which the pivotal connections shall be rigidly secured in place against usage and yet be capable of separation for purposes of renewal and repairs.

Another object of the invention is to enable the toe cap and the heel strap to be separately connected to the toe cord and at the same time brought into such relation as to fit snugly around and against the foot.

Another feature of the invention consists in the provision of ear plates or strips of leather overlying the vamp portion of the toe cap and secured at the edges thereto whereby the foot is prevented from crowding the vamp over sidewise.

Another feature of the invention resides in the construction of the opposite edge portion of the toe cap each'with a series of eyelets and a lacing whereby the vamp portion may be fitted to and held in place upon the too.

These and other objects of the invention will appear more fully from the accompanying description and drawings and will be particularly pointed out in the claims.

Figure l is a plan view of a snow shoe embodying the preferred form of this invention; Fig. 2 is a cross section of a portion of the shoe shown in Fig. 1, taken on the line 00a:; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the bushing or that portion of the pivotal connection between the toe cap and toe cord which is secured to the latter,

This invention is applicable to any form of snow shoe and for'convenience of illustration that form of snow shoe known as the bear paw is illustrated.

A snow shoe as is well known comprises the wooden frame .Iwh-ich :is made of various shapes andsizes, and the interwoven .filling 2 of various designs and proportions filling the space inclosed by the frame. At the forward .end of the shoe there is a strut or cross bar 3 forming a portion of the frame and known asthe toe bar. Directly behind this and extending across the shoe is a twisted cord of rawhide ,4 known as the toe cord. There is thus left between the two a space 5 known as the toe hole in which the toe of the wearer moves in walking.

.The foot of the wearer is held in place on the shoe by the foot binding which in this invention comprises a toe cap and a heel strap, each pivoted independently of the other to the cord 4. This is very desirable because according as the wearer is going up 7 hill ,or down hill the strain is shifted from the one to the other and the independent The toe cap and the heel strap are usually 7 and preferably made of leather and that term will be used herein and in the claims as descriptive of the material of these parts,

. but not as restrictive because the use of any other material if suitable does not affect in any? way the nature or. scope of the present invention.

The toe cap in the preferred form of this invention comprises a foot plate 6 of V the shape shown in Fig. 1 somewhat wider at the rear and narrowing toward the front and of sufficient length properly to support the sole of the foot. It comprises also a pair of similar complemental vamp plates 7 superposed-at their outer edges upon, the foot plate and provided at their free edges with metal eyelets ,8 through which a lacing or thong 9 is passed, and by means of which the vamp plates are snugly fitted over the toe of the wearer in such a manner as to allow the point of the toe to project into the 'toe' hole to the required extent. These metal eyelets are important because in theuse of rawhide and any other suitable material such material soon becomes soaked with water, and it is diflicult. to adjust the lacing, diiiicult for it to .be drawn through the holes, and the holes are liable to be torn out The metal eyelets take up this strain and distribute it such a manner that the permanency of the toe cap is assured and the ready. adjustment of the but are not connected thereto at their free edges. 7 These ear plates reinforce the vamp plates at the edges in such a manner that the sidewise thrust of the foot as when walking on a side hill or when the foot is thrust sidewise, will not allow the foot to move over the rivets and distort the toe cap.

The three plates forming the toe cap are secured together in superposed relation as shown in Fig. 2 by a plurality ofmetal rivets 11. These rivets hold the plates firmly in place and are peculiarly adaptable to secure their holding function when the rawhide is wet and to withstand the strain placed upon them by the twisting or sidewise thrust of the foot.

The toe cap is secured to the toe cord so as to provide the necessary pivotal movement by a connection formed of metallic parts and comprising a bushing, shown detachcd in Fig. 3, surrounding the toe cord and firmly held in place in the filling and a staple removably secured in place in the toe cap. One of these'connections is located at each side as shown in Fig. 1. This not only provides for perfect freedom of pivotal movement, but also prevents wear on the toe cord and filling of the snow shoe. The bushing comprises a hollow. bearing cylinder 12 having an arm 13 rigid or in tegral therewith at the outer end and a flange 14 at the inner end. The bearing cylinder 12 is slipped over the toe cord at the time the filling is interwoven and the arni 1 3 lies up and against the cord 15 extending from the toe bar 3 to the toe cord 4: and is Shaped to conform to the cord 15,

and is held in place by the winding 16. The

result is that this bushing becomes a firm and rigid part of the filling. The staple 17 is threaded at each end and is passed up surrounding the cylinder 12 and its ends carried through the superimposed plates of the toe cap, and also through a small metal plate 18 superimposed on the ear plate. The ends of the staple are threaded. Nuts 19 are then screwed on the threaded ends of the staples until the parts are in the right adjustment to provide a free pivoting of the toe cap and then the threaded projecting ends of the staple are hammered or burred down so as to prevent the nuts from coming ofi but allowing them to be removed with a wrench when necessary for repair or replacement of the toe cap.' .The flange 14; on each bushing prevents the movement of the staple too far toward the center of the shoe while the arm 13 limits its movement in the opposite direction so that while sufficient freedom of movement is allowed to the toe cap it cannot when wet and under a. heavy sidewise thrust move out of place or shift at its edge too far towardthe center of the shoe.

The metal parts which have been referred to particularly, the bushings and staples are made of suitable non-corrosive metal such as brass or what is known as Newton metal.

The heel strap 20 which is made in two parts adjustably secured together by an ordinary fastening such as a buckle is pivotally secured at its ends to the toe cord at points independent of the toe cap so that the toe can pivot independently of the heel strap, and vice versa. This makes the strain on the two parts of the foot binding independent of each other. But it is necessary for 'an efficient foot binding that the heel strap in its passage around the foot shall conform closely to the side of the foot, and to secure this result the toe cap at its rear edge adjacent the foot of the wearer is slotted. This slot may be in either portion of the toe cap and is herein shown for convenience in the ear plate. Thus, it will be seen that the heel strap conforms to the side of the foot of the wearer.

It will thus be seen that the various features of this, invention described combine to produce a highly efiicient form of foot binding for a snow shoe which will properly take care of all the conditions attending such a shoe in use and the great strains to which it is subjected.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a snow shoe the combination of a pair of metal bushings mounted on the toe cord at each side of the toe hole and provided on their outer ends with arms by which they are secured to the filling and against rotation, and on their inner ends with flanges, a. foot binding comprising a toe cap and a heel strap, metal staples surrounding each bushing having threaded ends passing through the toe cap and a nut on each staple end whereby the toe cap is pivotally secured to the toe cord and sidewise movement thereof limited.

2. In a snow shoe the combination of a pair of metal bushings mounted on the toe cord at each side of the toe hole and provided on their outer ends with arms by which they are secured to the filling and against rotation, and on their inner ends with flanges, a foot binding comprising a toe cap and a heel strap, metal staples surrounding each bushing having threaded ends passing through the toe cap and a nut on each staple end, the said heel strap being secured to the toe cord independently of the toe cap and then passed through apertures in the rear edge of the toe cap whereby the two parts of the foot binding are independently pivoted to the toe cord and the heel strap at the same time conforms to the foot of the wearer.

3. In a snow shoe foot binding a toe cap comprising a foot plate, vamp plates superimposed at their outer edges on the foot plates, ear plates superimposed at their outer edges on the vamp plates andoverlying the outer portion of the vamp plates, and means for securing together the superimposed edges of the said plates.

I. In a snow shoe foot binding a toe cap comprising a foot plate, vamp plates superimposed at their outer edges on the foot plates, ear plates superimposed at their outer edges on the vamp plates and overlying the outer portion of the vamp plates, means for securing together the superimposed edges of the said plates, metal eyelets at the opposing free edges of the vamp plates, and a lacing for the eyelets.

5. In a snow shoe foot binding a toe cap comprising a foot plate, vamp plates superimposed at their outer edges on the foot plates, ear plates superimposed at their outer edges on the vamp plates and overlying the outer portion of the vamp plates, and metal rivets passing through and securing said superimposed edges of the said plates.

cap to the toe cord, a heel strap having its ends pivotally secured to the toe cord independently of the toe cap and passed through the apertures in the ear plates.

7. In a snow shoe foot binding a toe cap, a heel strap, the said toe cap and heel strap being pivotally connected independently of each other to the toe cord, and the said heel strap passed through apertures in the rear edge of that portion of the toe cap extending over the foot whereby the heel strap conforms tothe shape of the side of the foot.

I In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GOLDWIN S. SPRAGUE.

WVitnesses:

MAUDE B. GUr'rILL, THOMAS J. DRUMMOND.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

